JEFF GILBERT DESIGN
-GENERAL PHILOSOPHY/ PRICING GUIDE

I design plywood catamarans and monos suitable for amateur stitch and glue or sheet/plank on frame construction. These are mostly single chine configuration, involving little or no torturing of ply.  On the rare occasions that this is unavoidable to achieve the desired hull, the builder may wish to strip plank a section. FG sheathing is recommended but for those constrained by trailer weight limits, funds or build time, an epoxy then protective coating will serve.

The boats are designed for a budget and lifestyle commensurate with a modest salary and the 9 to 5 hours taken to get it. They can be sailed in the evening, or towed to cruising grounds for a weekend or longer holiday.  Most are shoal, few are designed to cross oceans, most would make it.  They have few frills and are adaptable to ideas, materials and sail rigs people may have gathering dust.

These designs achieve a simple elegance that belies their ease of construction, and can provide years of the ultimate sailing satisfaction -piloting a self-built yacht.

Plans are cheap and materials relatively inexpensive. I've not written detailed step-by-step build manuals as the techniques used have been comprehensively covered by others, and are both readily available and cheap for the immense value they offer.  Most of the knowledge necessary is available on the web.

Prices are negotiable in the $US 20-100 range according to the level of information required. I'm offering some or all of

1/ a concept and enough drawings to show it clearly.

2/ a general description of the physical boat and its specs

3/ A general description of suggested building technique/sequence and construction materials.

4/ Sections as needed. Offsets at 20 to 80 stations for both the completed hull (bulkheads/framing) and developed panels (stich and glue) or both if necessary. For many of my "Easy-build" boats these details would be a waste of time.

In other words enough info for a keen amateur to build the boat.

Details of fitout, material types and building sequence are up to the individual, They always are, this is what makes the boat yours. No change suggestion will be rejected without consideration/explanation.  I am happy for any of my concepts to be further developed by others.

Its your dream, maybe I can give it a shape.
Jeff Gilbert  jgilbert@dynamite.com.au